With a return of the Champions League, fans are ready for a new season of the biggest tournament in club football. Liverpool are heading into the competition as title holders, leading football fans to consider how the teams will compete and how the hotly-anticipated competition will play out. We’ve taken a look at how the Italian teams will fare this season.
Napoli
Napoli have hardly been a favourite for the competition, but the team made waves against Liverpool in their first game in the Champions League this year, which shouldn’t be ignored. The club are now odds-on favourites to win Group E and Jurgen Klopp has been reported as saying that the team is better than the credit they’re being given, particularly with Dries Mertens on their side as a key player. As a former Champions League winner, manager Carlo Ancelotti has the experience to know what the squad need to perform at their best in the competition.
Juventus
The big name in the League is Juventus in terms of the team most likely to win, if betting odds are to be believed. They’ve got plenty of star power and they’re a well-rounded team, not least due to their signing of the summer in Matthijs de Ligt. Juventus have two Champions League titles under their belt but the last came back in 1996, so fans are ravenous for success in this season’s competition after they came in as runners-up in both 2015 and 2017. Juventus are still a few steps behind the truly big names such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, as well as last year’s champions Liverpool. However, any team that contains Cristiano Ronaldo can’t be written off entirely as he is more than likely to exceed his xG (For a guide to what xG is & how to understand it visit infogol)
Inter
Inter have added firepower to their attack this season with the addition of Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. This attacking prowess could make them something of a dark horse in this year’s fight for the title. Antonio Conte has reportedly hit out at Italy’s obsession with formation, claiming that all he needs from the side is “bravery and intensity”, so as long as the team can deliver this then Conte will be happy, but whether that’s enough to claim the title, only time will tell.
Atalanta
Atalanta have made a poor start to the Champions League campaign, despite having a talented team behind them. They lost a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb, who themselves are hardly a powerhouse in the competition. The chances of Atalanta turning things around to be in with a reasonable chance of the title seem slim at this stage, particularly with the clinical Man City in the mix with them. However, the team have Alejandro Gomez on their side who has been a star in Serie A for many years now and is relishing the chance to play in the Champions League at the age of 31. He is sure to be Atalanta’s talisman in this competition and will be crucial to their efforts.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com